Religious Education

"With God, all things are possible" Matthew 19:26

At Crowton Christ Church C.E. Primary School, we inspire and empower all members of our school community, providing the knowledge and understanding needed for everyone to thrive and flourish. Guided by our Christian values, we are determined to serve and lead in the diverse world in which we live, treating everyone with compassion, dignity and respect.

Religious Education (RE) is central to our Christian vision and plays an important part in enabling every child to flourish and to live life in all its fullness. Through high-quality, sequential RE, pupils develop a rich and well-informed understanding of Christianity as a living, diverse and global faith, with a particular focus on the teaching of Jesus and the life of the Church.

Our RE curriculum also enables pupils to learn about a range of religions and worldviews, developing curiosity, knowledge and understanding while fostering deep respect for the integrity of different traditions and for the religious freedom of every individual. Through thoughtful exploration and discussion, pupils are encouraged to ask significant questions, reflect on their own ideas and beliefs, and develop the understanding and respect needed to live well together in a diverse society.

In keeping with the Church of England’s vision for education, we seek to cultivate generous hospitality, welcoming difference and encouraging pupils to engage respectfully and thoughtfully with the beliefs, experiences and perspectives of others.

RE is a distinct, academic and non-confessional subject, separate from collective worship. It provides pupils with opportunities to explore questions of meaning, purpose, belief and identity and to develop the knowledge, understanding and critical thinking needed to participate positively in the wider world.

Our approach reflects the Church of England Religious Education Statement of Entitlement (January 2026), which is implemented from September 2026.

"Religious education in a Church school should enable every child to flourish and to live life in all its fullness."
Church of England, Religious Education Statement of Entitlement, January 2026

Intent

At Crowton Christ Church C.E. Primary School, Religious Education lies at the heart of our curriculum and makes a significant contribution to our Christian vision. Through RE, we seek to enable every child to flourish and to experience 'life in all its fullness' (John 10:10), developing the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to engage thoughtfully with faith, belief and the diverse world around them.

RE is a rigorous and academically challenging subject that enables pupils to become religiously literate. Through the study of Christianity as a living and diverse global faith, alongside a range of religious and non-religious worldviews, pupils develop a deeper understanding of how beliefs and values shape individuals, communities and societies. As a Church of England school, Christianity is the principal worldview studied and forms the majority of curriculum time. Our RE curriculum follows the Blackburn Diocesan Board of Education Questful RE Syllabus, incorporating Understanding Christianity. Through the exploration of biblical texts, key sources of authority, lived experiences and authentic encounters, pupils develop a rich understanding of Christianity while appreciating the diversity, continuity and change that exists within religious and non-religious worldviews.

Through RE, pupils are enabled to:

• engage meaningfully and critically with religious and non-religious worldviews;

• develop deep knowledge and understanding of Christianity as a living and diverse faith;

• explore how beliefs, values and practices shape individuals and communities;

• investigate questions of meaning, purpose, identity and belonging;

• develop disciplinary knowledge through theology, philosophy and the human and social sciences;

• reflect thoughtfully on their own developing worldview and values;

• engage respectfully in dialogue with people of faith and belief and those of none;

• become informed, compassionate and active citizens in modern Britain and the wider world.

Our curriculum encourages curiosity, critical thinking and reflection. Pupils are challenged to ask and explore profound questions about human existence while learning to express and justify their views with confidence, sensitivity and respect. We are committed to ensuring that all pupils, including those with SEND and disadvantaged backgrounds, achieve highly in Religious Education. Through carefully sequenced learning, high-quality teaching and rich opportunities for discussion and enquiry, pupils develop the knowledge, understanding and skills necessary to thrive in a diverse, multi-faith and multi-secular society.

Implementation

Religious Education is taught through the Blackburn Diocesan Board of Education Questful RE Syllabus, which has been designed to reflect the Church of England Religious Education Statement of Entitlement (2026) and the National Content Standard for Religious Education. The syllabus provides a coherent, progressive and academically rigorous curriculum that develops pupils' understanding of Christianity alongside a range of religious and non-religious worldviews.

The curriculum is built around the three disciplines of:

• Theology – exploring beliefs, doctrines, scriptures and sources of authority;

• Philosophy – asking and evaluating questions about meaning, truth and existence;

• Human and Social Sciences – investigating how beliefs are lived and expressed by individuals and communities.

Through these disciplinary lenses, pupils develop religious literacy by learning how to think critically, analyse evidence, evaluate different perspectives and engage respectfully with views that may differ from their own. Questful RE adopts an enquiry-based approach in which pupils encounter significant questions that promote investigation, reflection, interpretation and evaluation. Learning is enriched through visits, visitors, artefacts, sacred texts, discussion, debate and opportunities to encounter lived faith experiences.

Impact

Through Religious Education at Crowton Christ Church C.E. Primary School, pupils become increasingly religiously literate and are equipped to understand and engage with the diverse religious and non-religious worldviews that shape our society.

By the time pupils leave our school, they are able to:

• give a thoughtful and increasingly theologically informed account of Christianity as a living and diverse faith;

• demonstrate knowledge and understanding of a range of religious and non-religious worldviews; • engage respectfully and confidently in discussions about faith, belief, identity and values;

• analyse, interpret and evaluate religious and philosophical ideas using appropriate subject vocabulary;

• reflect critically on their own beliefs, values and developing worldview;

• recognise diversity within and between faith communities;

• make connections between belief, practice and lived experience;

• show respect, empathy and understanding towards people whose beliefs differ from their own.

Pupils make strong progress in their knowledge and understanding through the disciplines of theology, philosophy and human and social sciences. They are prepared for life in modern Britain and are able to contribute positively to local, national and global communities with dignity, respect and compassion.